Aroon Purie honoured for contribution to television

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) India Today Group editor-in-chief and chairman Aroon Purie was presented the Indiatelevision.com’s NT Award for lifetime achievement by Prannoy Roy, chairman and whole-time promoter of NDTV, at a function held here. An awards ceremony feting the best in news and infotainment television channels was held Saturday evening.

Recalling his association with Purie, Roy said the India Today Group editor-in-chief gave him the first break.

“I walked in as a Phd student with a crazy idea to Purie’s office many years ago. I told him that we wanted to do an opinion poll. Instead of shooting it down, he found the idea interesting and said, ‘Just go ahead and do it’,” Roy recalled.

Purie, who founded the India Today Group in 1975, said the 24-hour news channel is the “greatest invention” of recent times - almost as good as the cell phone.

“It has changed the way of public decisions and is now a voice for the people against injustice. It is a great force for good. Unfortunately, people do not realise that,” he said.

He compared the decade-old television news media in India to a boisterous boy, constantly innovating. “It is forceful and is trying out different things - some good and some bad,” he said.

While CNN-IBN was adjudged the best news channel in English, NDTV bagged the prize for the best Hindi news channel. The award for the best pioneering initiatives in digital technology went to News X.

The awards were preceded by a day-long discussion on “commercialisation” and “regionalisation” of news. Different channels presented their perspectives in a session titled, “The Commercial Imperative”.